Compliance Stuff

  On February 6, 2026, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit issued a narrow  ruling  in  National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education v. Trump , vacating a preliminary injunction that had blocked enforcement of  Executive Order 14151 , “Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing,” and  Executive Order 14173 , “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity.” The decision leaves employers with ongoing and significant uncertainty about what distinguishes lawful diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programming from activities the administration may target for enforcement as “unlawful DEI.” 0:00 9:51 Quick Hits On February 6, 2026, the Fourth Circuit held that the plaintiffs’ facial challenges in  National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education v. Trump  to President Trump’s anti-DEI executive orders (EOs) were unlikely to succeed, but the court did not valid...

On October 30, 2025, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois denied the government’s motion to narrow—and partially stay—the court’s April 14, 2025,  preliminary injunction  barring the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) from enforcing  Executive Order (EO) 14173’s  “Certification Provision” against any DOL grantee or contractor. The court held, despite the Supreme Court of the United States’ caution in  Trump v. CASA, Inc.  against universal injunctions, that a n injunction against DOL-wide enforcement of the executive order that tackles diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives is necessary to provide complete relief to the plaintiff, Chicago Women in Trades (CWIT), and to prevent a pervasive chilling effect on free speech and conduct rights protected by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Quick Hits An Illinois federal judge refused to limit a preliminary injunction blocking the enforcement of a provision in President...

The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) is often described as the “bible” of federal procurement. For decades, it has governed how agencies acquire goods and services, and how contractors compete for, win, and perform government contracts. While incremental updates are common, the federal procurement community is now bracing for the implementation of an effort describing itself as a “ revolutionary FAR overhaul ” — a top-to-bottom “modernization effort” that could reshape the contracting landscape. Why an Overhaul Now? For some time, certain policymakers, acquisition officials, and industry stakeholders have criticized the FAR for being: Overly complex  – Thousands of pages of regulations can overwhelm even experienced contractors. Outdated  – Some provisions reflect procurement practices from the 1980s, ill-suited to today’s fast-moving tech environment. Inflexible  – Agencies often struggle to adopt innovative solutions due to rigid rules. The current change has its ro...

GovDocs’ Webinar  Employment Law Shifts: First 120 Days of Trump Administration  tackles several of the notable employment law changes initiated by President Trump’s Second Administration. As stated by Presenter Jana Bjorklund, GovDocs Senior Counsel and Director, the Trump Administration has been “wildly busy” over the last four months, and much of it has been directed towards employment law.    In the webinar, Bjorklund identifies several key employment law shifts – including DEI, disparate impact liability, and federal contractor compliance – and discusses how these changes impact employers. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion   There should be no surprise to employers that DEI has been a “hot button” since the start of Trump’s second term, as indicated by Bjorklund . Notably, she discusses two executive orders signed by President Trump earlier this year that had immediate impact to DEI:  Executive Order 14151 – Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Pr...